Self-checking registering-turnstile.



E. W. DAVIS.

SELF CHECKING, REGISTERING TURNSTILE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.7,1911.

1,007,927, v Patented N0v.7,1911.

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ERNEST W. DAVIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SELF-CHECKING REGISTERING-TURNSTILE.

Application filed January 7, 1911.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1911. Serial No. 601,412.

persons with the amount of cash received by the agent or operator.

The ordinary registering turnstile accurately registers in proportion to the number of rotations imparted thereto, but fails to cooperate with the receipt of fares or tickets. It has been found in practice that an ordinary registering turnstile, when used for re istering paid admissions, if unwatched, wi ll invariably register more than the amount of cash received. This may be explained-in part by the following reasons: Inattention of agents and forgetfulness of passengers, or a crowded line in which passengers are pushed along before having time to procure their change, will result in registering the turnstile without co nsequent receipt of cash by the agent. Also, small boys frequently crouch down so as-to be unobserved while passing the agent and then register the turnstile. Also, hurried passengers frequently-revolve the turnstile so rapidly that the momentum will cause two or more fares to be registered.

The above named conditions necessitate careful watching on the part of the a ent, who usually finds it necessary to hol his hand in the orbit of the revolving segments in order to keep check of the number of persons passing. The result is that a single agent can handle only about one-half as many passengers as one. who is not thus hampered.

As turnstiles are often very desirable, except for the above-named objections, it is the purpose of this invention to overcome these objections and to provlde a turnstile which will automatically check the number of persons passing through. This is accomplished by providinga variable, ad ustable, limiting means which willpermlt a predetermined number of people to pass after which the turnstile will be automatically locked. In order that the a cut, or operator may have the free use of 0th hands for the purpose of makin change, the sa d 11miting means is prefera ly adjusted or set by means of a pedal, which upon being depressed a given number of times will-allow 'a corresponding number of persons to pass through the turnstile. Thus if five depressions are given to the pedal, the turnstile will be free to revolve until five persons have passed through, after which it will be locked until the pedal is again depressed.

In order that-the several details described hereinafter, may be more readily underrigidly secured to a vertical shaft 2, which is provided with bearings at 3 and 4:; The turnstile as here illustrated is designed to rotate in the direction of the arrow indicated thereon, and in order to prevent reverse rotation, a ratchet wheel 5, is provided. A suitable counting mechanism 6, is operated by a cam 7 which rotates with the shaft 2.

An escapement wheel 8, is provided with a stop 9, and is further provided with four teeth or lugs 10, 10, which engage with the escapement dogs 11, and 12, in the manner of an ordinary 'es'capement. The escapement wheel '8, is free to rotate on the shaft 2, and

rests on a collar 13, which is rigidly secured to the shaft 2. A spiral spring 14, is secured to said collar 13, and is anchored to the escapement wheel 8. This spring constantly tends to rotate the es'ca ement wheel 8, in the direction indicated y the arrow, but the rotation is checked by the escapement dogs 11 and 12.

The escapement dogs 11, and 12, are fastened on a horizontal shaft 15,-on which is also fastened a pedal 16, and a helical spring 17, (Fig. 2). The helical. spring 17, is wound preferably with slight open spaces between adjacent coils so as to allow slight longitudinal compression for the purpose of cushionin the impact of the escapementwheel teet 10, 10, which strike against the dogs 11 and 12.

The torsion of the helical spring 17, holds stood, reference is made to the accompanythe dogs 11, and 12, and the pedal 16, in their normal positions as indicated by the full lines (Fig. 1) but when the pedal is depressed, the pedal and dogs occupy the position indicated by the dot-ted lines. Each depression and release of the pedal 16, allows a quarter revolution of the escapement wheel 8.

A stop 18, is rigidly fastened to the shaft 2, and engages with an intermediate stop 19,

which is free to rotate on the shaft 2, and

which in turn engages with a duplicate stop 20, also free to rotate on the shaft 2. The secondintermediate stop 20, engages with the stop. 9, on the escapement wheel 8. The object'of providing the intermediate stops 19, and 20, is to permit a greater amount of rotation of the escapement wheel 8. Thus, if the stop 18, engaged directly with the stop 9, the escapement wheel could not make a complete revolution relative to the stop 18,

' and it would therefore be impossible to set the turnstile for more than four persons to pass.

To illustrate the action of the stops and intermediate stops more clearly suppose that the stops and escapement wheel were in the position shown in Fig. 2, and that the pedal 16, were depressed once and then released. The stop 9 would then move to the position indicated in Fig. 4. The turnstile is thus set for one person to pass, but after being rotated 90 degrees, the stops and intermediate stops will have taken the position indicated in Fig. 5, in which position the turnstile is locked. Or, if the stops and escapement wheel were in the position shown in Fig. 2, and the pedal 16, were depressed ten times,

1 the stop 9 would make two and a half revolutions and would carry the intermediate stops to the positions shown in Fig. 6. Upon the passage of ten persons through the turnstile with consequent movement of two and a half rotations, the stops and escapement wheel will again have the relative position shown in Fig. 5.

In operation, the spiral spring 14, can never become unwound, as the winding motion due to movement of the turnstileexactly compensates the unwinding motion due to the rotation of the escapement wheel 8. Obviously the constant tendency of the spiral spring 14, to rotate the shaft 2, in a direction opposite tothat in which it is free to rotate, will tend to overcome the momentum of the revolving segments.

I am aware that registering turnstiles were in use many years prior to my invention, also that stop motions of various kinds have been disclosed heretofore, but I am not aware that the combination of a turnstile and an advanceablestop has ever been used through said turnstile before said limiting means becomes operative. I

3'. In combination a rotatable turnstile; an escapement wheel provided with a stop, said stop being capable of limiting the rotation of said turnstile; means tending to advance said escapement wheel; escapement dogs en:

gaging with said escapement wheel, and means for operating said dogs.

4:. In combination a rotatable turnstile; an advanceable stop capable of variably limiting the rotation of said turnstile; and a plurality of interengageable stops, one of which engages with said advanceable stop.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature this 28th day of December, 1910.

ERNEST W. DAVIS. Witnesses:

A. (J. DAVIS, W. H. VER. 

